


How I See You

by hrhiggy



Category: Glee
Genre: Artist!Sam, College AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-04 18:53:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14026566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hrhiggy/pseuds/hrhiggy
Summary: future blam. Sam is an art student and aspiring cartoonist, up late working on a project. Blaine stays up with him, cheering him on, and discovers that Sam's drawing is of him.





	How I See You

**Author's Note:**

> currently in the process of taking fanfic posted to my tumblr between 2012-2014 and archiving it here on Ao3. This fanfiction was posted to tumblr in February of 2013, around when my url probably would have been "klacoustic" or "blamtastic" (but i'm not sure? I changed it a lot). It has not been edited or changed since, and will not be continuing or updating in the future

It’s late. The green letters above their old stove tell Blaine that it’s now past one in the morning. That special brand of silence that only falls when all of their neighbours are asleep has settled over the small San Francisco apartment that he and Sam share, only broken by the soft grumble of tires on pavement outside their windows. Blaine lazily spins a spoon in the large coffee cup, making sure the liquid is just the right shade of rich brown before it’s delivered to it’s destination.

Blaine walks into their shared bedroom, coffee in hand, just in time to witness Sam letting out a lion-like yawn. Blaine smiles fondly. It’s now mid-October in the city and Sam is still settling into his course load at the Academy of Art in SanFran. The blonde had taken a year off after high school– spent working in coffee shops and performing at bars (music, not dancing, thankfully) so re-adapting to the academic environment had been tough but doable. 

It had been a long haul that put stress not only on Sam, but on their relationship as well. But as always, they made due. 

Now Sam is well on his way to getting a degree in cartooning (“Babe is that not the coolest name for a degree ever?!”) and it still shocks Blaine how gorgeous his art is. Sam has this special, amazing talent for making characters come alive on paper that still floors Blaine every day, makes a wave of pride swell in his chest, and it’s only been getting better and better with every passing class Sam takes. 

The room is dark besides the bright desk light over Sam’s paper. Blaine keeps telling him he should work with a room light on to protect his vision, but the boy never listens. “Still soldiering on?” Blaine inquires, walking up behind Sam and placing the coffee beside his pencils on the work bench. 

“Yeah.” Sam sighs, dropping his pencil and leaning back in his chair, head bent backward to look up at Blaine. 

Sam’s upside-down face is the picture of exhaustion, his hair is a mess from tempering, frustrated fingers. Even his lips look weary under the weight of his smile. “Hey babe.” Sam grumbles, closing his eyes and sighing as Blaine runs his fingers through the blonde hair. 

“Hey. You gonna survive?" 

"Debatable." 

Sam and Blaine share a chuckle, and Sam has to stop so he can let out another long yawn. "It’ll be worth it when I get an A.” Sam says, voice deep from the ongoing yawn. 

“And when you’re a famous cartoonist for Marvel.” Blaine reminds, rubbing Sam’s shoulders encouragingly. “Why don’t you show me what you’ve got so far?" 

Sam blushes, sitting up and leaning over his drawings again. "No… nah. It’s not right yet.”

His protests make Blaine’s brow furrow. “C'mon! You’ve showed me unfinished work before.” Blaine moves his head around, trying to get a view around Sam’s leaning form. 

“Saaaaam.” Blaine drags out the word like a petulant child, poking his boyfriend in the sides playfully, a spot he knows is ticklish. 

The artist makes a whining sound, scooting over to the edge of his chair, letting out a "Nooooo.“ in the same childish tone. 

His shuffling does move him enough for Blaine to see a corner of the drawing that was previously under Sam’s elbow. It’s a familiar scene from a coffee shop near their apartment where they sometimes go for early morning dates. He can also see the top of a character’s head, charcoal curls with a shine to them from the window he’s sitting by. 

"Sam…” Blaine pinches the page between his fingers and gently tugs it out from under his boyfriend, who gives him an embarrassed look. 

Blaine was right; It is a scene from their coffee shop. It’s the corner table beside a shelf filled with different flavours of fancy tea leaves. The surrounding tables are empty, filling them with people not worth the effort.The rays of light coming through the window illuminate the figure sitting at the corner table, writing in a small moleskin notebook. 

It’s Blaine. And it’s beautiful. 

“It’s supposed to be, uh, how I see you.” Sam explained, voice tentative. “I couldn’t figure out how to pick just one way to draw you, but when I close my eyes and try to create you, there’s this warm feeling. Sort of like the sunshine that always comes through that window on summer afternoons? And then there’s the smell of coffee, because it’s always in your clothes and stuff…" 

Sam trails off, and Blaine doesn’t mind. He’s still staring misty-eyed down at the drawing. "Is that… my song book?” he asks in a quiet voice, all too aware of the lump in the back of his throat. 

Sam nods, though Blaine doesn’t look up to see it. “Yeah. I had to put your music in there somehow, because you’re not really, completely Blaine unless you’re writing lyrics." 

It’s true. Song writing is when Blaine is most himself. He can write anywhere, the coffee shop included, but no one had ever actually watched him write until Sam.

"Sam this is…” Blaine shakes his head, tears welling up in his eyes. “This is perfect, Sam.” He looks up to find the blonde smiling affectionately. “Although I feel a little bad.” Blaine confesses, “To know it’s been drawing me that’s been giving you all this grief.” 

Sam laughs softly, standing up (a little unsteady due to exhaustion) and wrapping Blaine in his arms. He’s holding his boyfriend from behind, head resting on Blaine’s shoulder so they can both look down on the drawing. 

“Don’t.” Sam whispers, pressing a tender kiss to Blaine’s shoulder, “I’ve never had a more perfect subject."


End file.
